Does Church Attendence Make a Difference?

Is there really a connection between church attendance and everyday life?

According to the Pew Research statistics only 37% of Americans they polled out of 8,000 in 2013 said that they attend church weekly, or more. They average that by population, gender, and age, and come up with numbers for the entire nation as they poll different sections of the country. Their error margin had to do with what was actually meant by attending church. Most admitted to attending a religious service of some sort.

Does it really make a difference if you go to church or not? People answer that differently. I often tell the congregation at Draper Valley that I know a lot of people that have nothing against God; they just don’t like “church.” I put the word in parenthesis because they actually mean they don’t like attending a religious fellowship with other people.

But does it really make a difference if you attend church or not? Some Christians say they do not need church. Most unbelievers could care less about it.  I know that you know that my answer is biased; because I get “paid” to go to church. For the record I went for years without getting paid just as many of you do. When I look at my life now and look back before I went to church on a regular basis I can see a big difference. But it was not because I went to church; it was because I came to know Jesus personally. That is what makes my life better today; not church; Jesus. I came to Him in church, but you don’t have to be there to accept Him.

I would have to say that just going to church will not impact your everyday life any more than going to a hospital and sitting in the E.R. waiting room for two hours will prevent you from sickness or accident. When I go visit my kinfolk, I go to spend time with them; not just be in their house. When I go to church, even to preach or teach, I still go to spend time with my Lord, and other people who hopefully are there for the same reason. Regardless of your opinion about the building, the music, the preaching, the programs, or whatever you “look for” in a church, the main emphasis is to come together with others who are there to worship and spend time with the Lord. The assembling ourselves together.  

So if you do not attend church, or are “searching” for a church, let me encourage you to first seek the kingdom of God by way of Jesus Christ. Get connected with Him first; or there is not a church out there that will make any difference in the long run. That’s my two cents.